Dee Michelle is no rookie when it comes to hair care. As a seasoned stylist with nearly a decade of experience, she’s spent years perfecting her craft and creating memorable experiences for each client. Business has always been good for Michelle, but things quickly accelerated in 2024 when she went viral for her now-famous ‘Invisible K-Tips’ method. The innovative extensions technique has garnered attention from many, including high-profile clients like Keyshia Cole and Jayda Cheaves. And the new level of visibility quickly turned her into a 7-figure earner.
Now people from all over are traveling far and wide to get in her chair for the luxury hair service. In a recent conversation with BAUCE, Michelle opened up about the journey behind her signature method, how social media helped turn talent into dollars, and her next move: opening a Brooklyn salon this summer.
A Calling, Not Just a Career
Michelle has always been drawn to the world of beauty. As a child, she found joy in styling her sisters’ hair as well as her own. However, it wasn’t until she reached high school and joined her school’s cosmetology program that she developed a deeper passion for the craft and envisioned herself becoming a hair care professional.
After a few semesters of college discovering herself and exploring interests, she decided to fully pursue her passion and drop out to attend beauty school instead. “I just knew that being a stylist was for me,” Michelle confidently tells BAUCE. “I’ve always been the kind of person to just truly believe that anything I do, I can do very, very well.”
Michelle spent the next several years building her clientele and making a name for herself in the Pittsburgh beauty scene, eventually doing hair full-time in 2019. But around 2022, while she was pregnant with her son and taking a break from hair, she found herself at a standstill.
“I was just kind of getting bored with the beauty industry, to be honest. And I was like, I have to find something different to do.”
She rediscovered her spark when she came across an unfamiliar styling technique: K-Tip extensions.
The Birth of ‘Invisible K-Tips’
K-Tip extensions, or keratin tip extensions, are a type of extension that utilizes keratin bonds to attach individual strands of hair to natural hair with a special heating tool. This alternative method is intended to provide a more natural look with enhanced versatility than traditional extensions, but according to Michelle, they often fall short on this promise.
“I came across the regular K tips, but I did not like them, so I just started playing around with it in my client’s hair and trying different things. And then I came up with the ‘Invisible K-Tip Method’.”
Before adding her own spin, traditional K-Tips received criticism for appearing unnatural and bulky, even causing breakage. Her new and improved rendition of K-Tips offers a much more favorable result through a seamless and ‘invisible’ application that enables clients to confidently rock the extensions without a trace of manipulation, emulating a flawless natural look. With Michelle’s meticulous installation, clients can wear the extensions for several months at a time while still protecting and nourishing their natural hair.
Since her discovery in 2022, she diligently experimented with the technique and eventually mastered it. In 2024, she went viral for her artistry and earned the title of the ‘Invisible K-Tips Queen’.
With the high demand for this revolutionary styling technique, she decided to shift her business model completely, discontinuing all other services and offering the K-Tips extensions exclusively. This transition was the catalyst that turned her into the 7-figure earner she is today.
Strategic Moves From a Viral Moment
The overnight virality of her K-tips video may have earned her high-profile clients and booked calendars, but her presence on social media was not something that happened overnight. Michelle has consistently leveraged social media since 2019 to build her brand and showcase her work. But once her K-Tips video took off, she shifted her focus to further expose and educate people on the technique.
Scrolling through her socials, you’ll find several synchronized hair transformations showing off the natural density and versatility of the installs, along with a hefty price tag for the work. But she makes it a point to prove its worth by giving her audience a behind-the-scenes look at the application process, debunking myths about the trend, and documenting the real-life positive effectiveness of K-Tips. She builds on the momentum by teasing the luxury aspect of it all, displaying snippets of clients who have traveled across the globe to get in her chair, along with work she has done for celebrity clients.
“I don’t just post to post and hope it’s going to go viral, I post with strategy and intention,” Michelle says.
That strategy has paid off. In addition to serving high-profile clients and fully booked schedules, Michelle has taught hundreds of stylists how to perfect the method and scale their businesses to attract high-end clientele.
Creating a Premium Experience
Social media increased her exposure, but what keeps clients coming back is the luxury experience they receive once they get in the chair. The Dee Michelle: Private Salon Experience offers a personalized, luxury service in an intimate setting, something crucial for her high-profile clients.
“I like privacy with my clients. I work with a lot of high-profile people, so it made me change the direction of my business to make sure that they were comfortable, and also to make sure that I was comfortable.”
Now, after years of building a strong reputation as a premier stylist in Pittsburgh, Michelle is ready to take on a new chapter, moving to NYC to a new salon in Brooklyn this July.
“With my expansion to New York, we’re making a lot of changes. Even though I will have more stylists and employees, we’re still going to make it a private experience for everyone,” Michelle shared with BAUCE. “I like for clients to come and have more than just a service. I want them to just have a great experience overall.”
The NYC location will not only serve as a salon but also offer spa services. Michelle credits her own experiences and feedback from clients with creating a new salon experience that clients will never forget.
Michelle has proved herself to be a force in the hair industry, but for her, this is only the beginning.
“It’s always been bigger than hair. And I feel like now I’m truly stepping into my full purpose this year.”
Stay updated with Dee and her new NYC salon by following her on Instagram.
